Herman Cain on His Electrified Fence: “That’s a Joke”

How many times have we seen this dodge from conservatives? They say something disgusting to pander to the loony base, then when called out on it, claim it was “a joke.” This excuse is so tired and worn out by now, it’s a joke in itself.

Of course, the right wing crowd didn’t exactly laugh at Cain’s little xenophobic jest about killing Mexicans — they cheered.

At two campaign rallies in Tennessee on Saturday night, the Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said that part of his immigration policy would be to build an electrified fence on the country’s border with Mexico that could kill people trying to enter the country illegally.

But by Sunday morning, in a dramatic change of tone, Mr. Cain, a former restaurant executive, said he was only kidding.

“That’s a joke,” Mr. Cain told the journalist David Gregory during an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” where he was asked about the electrified fence. “That’s not a serious plan. I’ve also said America needs to get a sense of humor.”

Mr. Cain’s attempt to pass off incendiary comments as nothing but a joke may take more effort, however. In making the initial remarks about an electrified fence killing illegal immigrants, Mr. Cain was detailed and repetitive. He did not introduce his thoughts as anything but serious commentary, beginning with the words, “We have a crisis of illegal immigration.”

And the crowds responded with cheers, not laughs.

Note that Cain also said he would use military troops “with real guns and real bullets” on the border to kill undocumented immigrants.